Sunday, July 8, 2012

My children loved Brave. So did I. It had its good and bad points, but I loved it. I loved it because I know it will be one of "those" movies.

"Those" Movies

They say that our sense of smell, possibly more than any of the senses, can illicit powerful feelings and memories. Based on my own experience, that's certainly true. I've also found that kids movies can be just as powerful. I remember when my oldest was small, the first movie I recall watching with her was Finding Nemo. We must've watched it dozens of times. It became one of "those" movies. Even when we watch it today, since my youngest has now began watching it, my memories of six or seven years ago come back.

I remember that little girl who's teeth were protruding a bit (a lot) due to her overuse of the pacifier, something we didn't even notice at the time, we thought she had the prettiest smile, EVER!

I remember Memo, not the shortened form of memorandum, but rather "meemo." I even recall how my wife and I thought we were prepared for parenthood, only to find our lives turned upside-down. We were fortunate to have a healthy and happy little girl, but, initially, setting our lives back on a good course was like guiding a ship through a hurricane. What I imagine it would be like, at least.

Every Season Has on of "Those" Movies

Following Finding Nemo, there came classics like Toy Story (1, 2 and 3), The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella. There were also instant classics like The Incredibles (still awesome), Madagascar, Nanny McPhee, Cars (1 and 2, both awesome), Adventures of Tin Tin, Spy Kids (1 and 2, not 3 or 4), Bedtime Stories, and Megamind. There have been many more, each memorable in their own right. The best thing about them is that each reminds me of a particular time and place. They all bring back memories of Friday and Saturday nights in our family room floor with popcorn, blankets, pillows, even makeshift tents, in front of the television. In short, they remind me of togetherness, lots of hand-holding, children in our laps, carrying them to bed after they'd fallen asleep, and even, "Oh, daddy, just one more movie before bed."

Sure, they also remind me of the other things going on in our adult lives throughout the years, some good, some bad. I suppose we all have that stuff, but movies and movie nights have always made me forget the not-so-good times.

I know it isn't so much the movies, themselves, that have helped my family make special memories that will last forever (I still remember being five-years old and watching Planet of the Apes, and later, Black Sheep Squadron and Wonderful World of Disney on television with my family every week). It's simply the fact that we have been together, close.

The films each carry memories from their particular season and I'm thankful for that. I hope that, when I'm 90, I'll plug them in the DVD player (or whatever mode of visualization we will be using then) and the memories will come rolling back.

What about you? What kinds of things, or what movies, do the same for you?

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Each week (that's the plan) I will be featuring seven works of blogging, writing, and otherwise Internet art from the fatherhood, parenting, manhood realm. I decided to go with the name "Magnificent Seven" because, given the subject matter, "Dirty Dozen" doesn't quite work.
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Steve McQueen and Yul Brenner from "The Magnificent Seven."

It isn't an exhaustive list, there were several others that could have easily made the grade, but each of these struck a chord that resonated with me in some fashion.

They're in no particular order, other than the place they fell on my reader.

The post reminds me that keeping the proper perspective is imperative to giving my kids what they deserve. By that I mean, the thought that my kids are exceptional, and the accompanying actions, can lead to bigger problems as they grow older. Thanks for the reality check and a great post.

From Digital Dads, Coleman Outdoor Portable Oven/Stove - I have the same great memories of camping from my youth, though we didn't do enough of it. Plus, we just purchased our first family tent with plans to go camping, if the temperature ever falls below 100-degrees again. So, this post was very timely for me. It features one of the mainstays of family camping from years past, the Coleman stove. It's come a long, long way, as you will see.

From Founding a Father, Beware of the Ash Men - Everyone has those moments that will never be forgotten. There's the birth of your children, wedding day, graduations, etc. There are also moments that will provide you with inspiration forever. This post describes one of those moments.

From How to Be a Dad, You Ain't Smarter, Dudes - I want my children to be the best they can be, but I may be their biggest hindrance. Or, maybe not.

From OWTK (Out with the Kids), Occupy Children (On A Road Trip) - Guest Post from the Mrs. - Some fantastic, and by that I mean, tremendously great, ideas for keeping the kids active and occupied (and not simply with iPods and electronics) during a road trip, even during the red-alert, end-of-rope times.

Great stuff from great people. Follow them on Twitter at the following Twitter handles:

@DadCentric
@DadofDivas

@DigitalDads

@Jetts31 (Founding a Father)

@HowToBeADad

@ArtofManliness

@OWTK

If you'd like to highlight some of your own picks, feel free to do so in the comments!

Monday, July 2, 2012

When walking with my daughters, all I need to do is put out my hands and I get an automatic hand-hold from both of them.

They aren't little angels that never get into mischief and always answer with a "Yes, ma'am" or "Yes, father." They are angels in my eyes, but still average little American girls in most every way. They do, however, still want to hold their daddy's hand, in most cases.

I've seen evidence this, one of the things that can make my day on most any day, is coming to an end. The youngest is only five-years old, so I have several more years of hand holding with her, but her sister is nine.

The evidence of hand-hold apprehension was minimal, but detectable. Recently, at the grocery store near her school, where the probability of bumping into her friends was heightened, I put out my hand as we crossed the street. Could've been a mere oversight on her part, but, to my surprise and a little confusion, there was no hand-in-return. It took an "Uh, hello" prompt to get an "Ooops" and a hand in return. I thought little of it at the time.

Later, however, I recalled that, as I had walked her down the sidewalk of her school in the mornings, for at least half the year, she hadn't held my hand. Could've been mere coincidence and her hands may have been full on at least 100 occasions.

"Could've beens" notwithstanding, the probability is that The Daddy Years will soon come to an end. At least there's enough time for me to learn to advance to the next level of fatherhood, whatever that may be.